In its role as a first-responder when disaster strikes, LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the mercy arm of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), is assessing needs and determining ways the church can render aid in fire-ravaged Southern California. Assistance will include providing grants to the LCMS Pacific Southwest District so that along with emotional and spiritual care, the district also can provide financial assistance to its congregations, members, and neighbors in need.
There are some 216 LCMS congregations in Southern California with 70,393 members. At present, no LCMS churches are reporting damage, though many members’ homes have been destroyed or damaged. At least two congregations are in the line of fire—Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in Lake Arrowhead and Light of the Valley in Valley Center.
Rev. Glenn Merritt, director of disaster response, and Rev. Carlos Hernandez, director of districts and congregations, both for LCMS World Relief and Human Care, are in Southern California meeting with LCMS pastors and Pacific Southwest District staff to identify resources. Early response and assistance includes: Members of Trinity Lutheran Church in Temecula are volunteering at the local Red Cross shelter to help their neighbors in distress; St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Pacific Beach is accepting donations to distribute to thousands of evacuees at Qualcomm Stadium and Del Mar Fairgrounds; Rev. Douglas Jones of St. James Lutheran Church in Imperial Beach spent Monday and Tuesday at Qualcomm Stadium providing spiritual support in the medical section; Several churches, including Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, are serving as shelters for some of the displaced persons.
LCMS World Relief and Human Care made an initial disbursement of $50,000 today to the Pacific Southwest District office to be distributed to congregations to assist members who were evacuated. “Financial assistance, volunteering, and providing shelter are just some of the ways we are providing immediate assessment and response,” said LCMS World Relief and Human Care’s Hernandez. “Much work lies ahead of us as needs continue to surface in the aftermath of what is being called one of the worst fire disasters in California history.”
For more information on the LCMS response to the Southern California wildfire disaster, visit http://www.lcms.org/pages
